Ingmar van den Berg writes in Webwereld and NU.nl that e-retail benefits from the recession: Durk Jan de Bruin van mijnwinkel.nl (a proprietary, low-end webshop provider) speaks of top days. In the interview, I stress that open source based solutions are best fit to meet the needs of companies in a recession, and that the recession feelings have abolished most resistances against open source (in recession countries like UK and Germany for example).
The journalist further focuses on the inconveniences with receiving ecommerce deliveries at home or at post offices after two days.
Wijnand Jongen, director of Thuiswinkel.org, the Dutch distance shopping organisation (for a few years I was board member), warns that the recession and credit crunch also will claim victims under etailers.
Friday, January 2, 2009
ICEcat usage in 2008 grown with 196% to 380 million data-sheet requests
The worldwide use of ICEcat in 2008 has increased with 196% to 380 million product data-sheet requests by ecommerce sites. And this despite the recession that hit Europe and the US. Currently, 160 global brands are sponsoring Open ICEcat. The number of active ecommerce users has grown with 62% in 2008, compared to 2007.
Usage outside our home market, the Netherlands, has increased to 71%, and the usage outside Europe has grown to 13%, half of which from the US alone.
2009
Usage growth in the US is going so fast that the US is expected to become the #1 using country in 2009. In Europe, the German language area will be the most active one.
Growth despite recession
A visible effect of the recession is that the growth in the number of data-sheet requests in Q4 2008 fall back to 109% compared to Q4-2007, half the average growth in 2008.
Usage outside our home market, the Netherlands, has increased to 71%, and the usage outside Europe has grown to 13%, half of which from the US alone.
2009
Usage growth in the US is going so fast that the US is expected to become the #1 using country in 2009. In Europe, the German language area will be the most active one.
Growth despite recession
A visible effect of the recession is that the growth in the number of data-sheet requests in Q4 2008 fall back to 109% compared to Q4-2007, half the average growth in 2008.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Preparing open catalog incorporation and board
As the open catalog project, Open ICEcat, has transformed into a worldwide open catalog (xml) standard (de facto), it is widely embraced by technology manufacturers and the market (in 22 language areas), and the organization behind it has become mature, it is time to spin-out ICEcat.
The concept incorporation documents are prepared for ICEcat NV (Inc. in NL law). It is amazing that still the approval of the Ministry of Justice is needed for this, which takes weeks if not months! And that while the Dutch cabinets is trying to cut red tape for already a decade! Typical case of lip services.
At the same time, the changes in share positions in the holding company iMerge, provide the opportunity to appoint a Board of Commissioners (according to NL law, a two-tier board is optional). We created a short list, and the first appointment is already under way. Hope to finalize this in the first week(s) of January.
The concept incorporation documents are prepared for ICEcat NV (Inc. in NL law). It is amazing that still the approval of the Ministry of Justice is needed for this, which takes weeks if not months! And that while the Dutch cabinets is trying to cut red tape for already a decade! Typical case of lip services.
At the same time, the changes in share positions in the holding company iMerge, provide the opportunity to appoint a Board of Commissioners (according to NL law, a two-tier board is optional). We created a short list, and the first appointment is already under way. Hope to finalize this in the first week(s) of January.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Obama's broadband "surge"
After a meeting in March 1999 with Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok, the eight present internet enterpreneurs formed immediately a Digital Business Cabinet (or 8K=8 of Kok), as a kind of playful provocation with a number of concrete advises to improve the internet business climate. At that time, Bill Clinton was still in office, having created a VAT tax exempt for internet retailers and emphasizing the importance of investing in the information super highway.
After the boom came the bust, and after Clinton Bush. Also in The Netherlands subsequent cabinets hardly paid specific attention to the importance of the internet. With the return of the Democrats in the White House, and Obama selecting a Clintonian core-cabinet, also the focus on investing in the internet infrastructure returned: Obama now wants to invest in broadband internet to reach world class penetration levels. A kind of broadband "surge". ;-)
What is the Dutch cabinet doing? Still nothing. Yes, the broadband internet penetration is in NL already one of the highest in the world. But, similar to investing in the GigaPop backbone network for internet2 (GigaPort), it makes sense to invest now in a gigabit access network to the home (& business). In this way, The Netherlands can once again leap to the forefront of the digital economy.
After the boom came the bust, and after Clinton Bush. Also in The Netherlands subsequent cabinets hardly paid specific attention to the importance of the internet. With the return of the Democrats in the White House, and Obama selecting a Clintonian core-cabinet, also the focus on investing in the internet infrastructure returned: Obama now wants to invest in broadband internet to reach world class penetration levels. A kind of broadband "surge". ;-)
What is the Dutch cabinet doing? Still nothing. Yes, the broadband internet penetration is in NL already one of the highest in the world. But, similar to investing in the GigaPop backbone network for internet2 (GigaPort), it makes sense to invest now in a gigabit access network to the home (& business). In this way, The Netherlands can once again leap to the forefront of the digital economy.
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